Last.



C. F. BARKER & F. W. MILLAY.

LASY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25.1917

' 1,2603%. Patented Mar. 26,1918.

ran sraras CHARLES Ii. BARKER AND FREDERICK W. MILLAY, OF HAVEBHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

I To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that we, Cnannns F. BARKER and FREDERICK lV. MILLAY, citizens of the United States of America. and residents of HktVGI'lllll, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lasts used in the manufacture of boots and shoes. It has for its object the production of a last in which the toe portion is reinforced in such a manner as to prevent the point of the toe from being broken off or otherwise injured. The invention consists of a last in which a transverse plate, preferably of metal. is inserted into a narrow slit extending inwardly from the point of the toe.

The invention further consists of certain novel features of construction and arrange ment of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention one preferred form thereof is illustrated in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a last embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 represents a plan of the toe part of the same, a portion being broken away on line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the same, the cutting plane being on line 3.3 on Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4: represents an inverted plan of the toe portion of the last.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a last, the toe portion 11 of which is provided with a narrow slit 12 extending inwardly from the point 13 of the toe.

This slit 12 is inclined upwardly from the bottom face 14 of the toe part 11 and the lower wall of the slit 12 intersects said bot-v Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1917.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Serial No. 193,384.

tom face 1e slightly to the rear of the point 13.

A plate 15, preferably of metal, is inserted in said slit 12 with its rear edge 16 abutting the inner end wall of said slit 12, all as shown in Fig. 2.

The plate 15 is provided with an opening through which the positioning member 17 extends; said member 17 being shown in the drawings as a screw inserted from the bottom face of the last.

When the plate 15 has been inserted in the transverse slit 12, with its rear edge 16 bearing against the rear wall of said slit, and secured in position by the member 17, its outer edges are shaped to conform to the curved surface of the toe part 11.

The outer end of the metal plate 15 will extend beyond the wooden portion of the toe part 11, so that if the last is dropped on its toe end or said toe end is subjected to other rough usage there is very little liability of the toe point being broken or otherwise injured.

Where lasts are used with very pointed toes the ends of the toes are very liable to become broken and the entire last made useless and this damage to the toe is more liable to occur on account of the grain of the wood extending transversely of the last.

.By making the slit 12 in the toe part 11 and positioning in said slit 12 a metal plate 15 extending from one side of the last to its opposite side and with the point of the plate 15 extending beyond the wooden part of the toe all liability to injure the point 13 of the toe is effectually prevented.

While a metal plate 15 is preferably used to reinforce the toe it is obvious that a plate of fiber board or some similar material may be used to advantage.

The many advantages of reinforcing the toe of a last in the manner herein described will be fully understood without further description.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A last provided with a narrow transverse slit, extending inwardly from the toe and a fiat sided plate in said slit.

2. A last provided with a narrow trans verse slit, extending inwardly from the toe and inclined upwardly from the bottom face of the forepart and a flat sided plate in said slit.

3. A last provided Wltla. a narrow trans verse slit, extending inwardly from the toe, and a plate in said slit'having a transversely disposed inner edge abutting the inner wall of said slit. V

p 4. A last provided with a narrow slit extending inwardly from the toe; a plate in said slit; and a member secured in the fore-- part and extending through said plate.

5. A last provided with a narrow transverse slit extending inwardly from the toe with its lower wall intersecting the bottom of the last slightly to the rear of the point 01 the toe; a plate in said slit; and means for securing said plate in said slit.

6. A last provided with a narrow transverse slit extending inwardly from the toe 0091a 01 this patent may be obtained for and provided with a straight inner Wall ex tending acrosssaid last from side to side and a lower wall intersecting the bottom of the last slightly to the rear of the point of the tee; a plate in said slit having a straight inner edge abutting the straight inner wall of said slit and a member extending through said plate into the material of said last on opposite sides of said plate.

Signed by us at ,Haverhill, Mass, this 19th day of September.-

CHARLES F. BARKER. I FREDERICK V. MILLAY. Witnesses:

CHARLES J. MALBoN, J. FRANK BATCHELDER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. G." 

